Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 31 Location: Liverpool.
Hypo Questions. Posted: 10-22-06 23:08pm
Hey folks.
Some of you may recognise me, I came here
a few months ago looking for info on hypo
as I suspected I had it.
Well, I (finally) went to the docs and it
turns out I was right, I do have hypo.
So, I have a few questions for anyone who
can, or would be happy to answer.
My first question is rather difficult for
me to explain, but i'll try.
When your blood sugar starts to drop, and
you get the shakes and sweats, is it
something that will rapidly get worse and
worse and worse, or, will it be kinda slow
to progress?
Also, what would happen if, and how would
I know (apart from the shaking and sweats)
when my blood sugar was dropping
dangerously low.
I only ask because, from what i've read
from the internet (some sites aren't
reliable I know, which is why i'm asking
here, a site I trust) it seems that hypo
symptoms developed suddently and rapidly
deteriorate. Only, from what I myself
have experienced, I can last all day (from
morning till late evening) with hypo
symptoms without getting very bad. I'll
have shakyness and sweats, and sometimes
i'll get a small headache in the
afternoon, but apart from that, I don't
get bad with it, even though I havn't
eaten anything all day. I only know this
because I can't always eats breakfast in
the morning (due to getting up too late)
and I have a really strange phobia of
eating in public, so if I skip breakfast,
I don't eat anything all day until i'm
home.
Secondly, can hypoglycemia come on after
excersize?
Thirdly, most mornings, I wake up shaky,
but this is confusing me because every
night I wake up because I need something
to drink, so I always keep a bottle of
cola by my side so I can drink it at
night. Wouldn't drinking the cola at
night keep my sugar levels up? So how
come I wake up shaky?
Also, I know i'm supposed to eat
carbohydrates, but whenever I look for
things with carbohydrates in, most of the
carbs are just sugar and as far as I know,
I need to cut down on sugar. I know I
should probably follow stan's diet, but
it's so difficult and confusing and I
don't think I could ever stick to a
specific diet.
I know there's alot of questions there,
but i'll be really greatful to anyone who
answers. Thanks.
oh, and one more question (sorry). Is a
drink (say an actimel drink) enough to get
rid of my symptoms in the morning and to
last me all day without the symptoms?
Thanks again!
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Stan
Moderator
Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 1696 Location: ,
Thanks: 3
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Posted: 10-23-06 17:45pm
Here are the answers:
1. It depends what you've been eating
that's caused the reaction. Plain sugar
will cause a seriously quick drop whereas
too much bread may cause a reaction a few
hours later. Also depends on how
sensitive your body is to begin with.
2. First thing you usually experience is
some sort of mental symptom, especially
anxiety, or physical symptoms that
resemble having the flu.
3. You feel better not eating because
your body doesn't have anything to cause
it to drop down.
4. Hypoglycemia can come after exercising
if you haven't gotten used to a routine
that fits your current recovery status or
are just careless.
5. You feel shaky because you're drinking
cola which you must never drink!
What's happening is you're getting rid of
the low, but then your body
overcompensates for the level of sugar you
just gave it and you feel worse in the
process. Keep doing that and you're
going to end up really sick. If you are
wakeful at night, only have some form of
protein, nothing else!
6. Unfortunately you have to face the
facts for awhile. You don't have to do
my diet, but you need some sort of routine
that gives you a carbohydrate level that's
satisfactory to your needs and
isn't too high or includes anything that
you shouldn't be eating. Soda is out of
the question, never touch it again. It
takes some work at first, but the results
you'll get are well worth it.
7. I don't know what actimel is.
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Rae17
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 31 Location: Liverpool.
Posted: 10-26-06 20:19pm
Thank you stan
don't get me wrong, I think your diet is
excellent and has helped many people, it's
just, i've never been on any type of diet,
so i'm finding it difficult to get used to
the fact that i'll always have to
monitor/check what i'm getting before I
buy/eat it. It's difficult when i'm out
because i'll often go buy a drink or
something from a shop without even
thinking about hypo only to find i'm shaky
and sweaty sometime later. It's more an
annoyance than anything right now.
I'll admit im a chocolate and cola addict
and I have no idea how i'm gonna cut these
things out. Especially cola. I drink
it everyday.
Anyways, thank you for answering my
questions I have just one
more small question, which I just
remembered, if you don't mind.
Can hypoglycemia cause digestive/stomach
problems?
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Stan
Moderator
Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 1696 Location: ,
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Posted: 10-26-06 20:52pm
Oh yeah, that's another big problem. The
main reason is that the intestinal tract
also utilizes serotonin, among other
chemicals, to run properly. That's why
when people take anti-depressants they
sometimes cause stomach problems, it's
because too much serotonin is being drawn
away from the digestive tract. But yes,
these symptoms are common. Plain sheep's
milk yogurt or a small tincture of
slippery elm bark will clear that crap up
real quick. And I know what you mean, it
sucks having to follow a schedule, but
once you get used to it it's not a big
deal. My only concern is that you seem
to be eating a pretty high sugar diet
right, going straight into the correct
program may make the recovery symptoms
horrible so you may in fact need to
cut back progressively before getting into
it. Going cold turkey may be disastrous
in your case.
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sandyallen
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 02 Feb 2004 Posts: 4580
Posted: 10-26-06 21:21pm
Just a quick question, their is a fairly
new cell energy drink that does not
contain sugar but it does contain steevia
and it is called .A.C.T it is mixed with
water is it okay?
Thank you in advance for your answer!
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Stan
Moderator
Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 1696 Location: ,
Thanks: 3
Thanked:0
Posted: 10-27-06 07:05am
I've heard about stevia, and though i've
never used it, I believe that like xylitol
it has almost no glycemic index
whatsoever, so it should be fine.
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Rae17
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 31 Location: Liverpool.
Posted: 10-28-06 03:38am
stan stepanic
wrote:
plain sheep's milk yogurt or
a small tincture of slippery elm bark will
clear that crap up real
quick
now there are two things which i've never
heard of before, but if they help with the
stomach problems, i'll definitely search
for them. I'm not sure if my local
supermarkets will sell these things or not
though and this is one of the reasons why
I say it's difficult for me to go on a
diet. Many of the stores here don't cater
for those of us who are on (or should be
on) strict diets.
And yes, you're right, I am on a high
sugar diet. It's quite shameful really.
And I guess hypoglycemia is the price I
pay for not taking better care of myself
and allowing myself to over induldge on
sugar.
I'll follow your advice and slowly ween
myself off cola and chocolate.
Does this mean I have to cut out all sugar
completely? Including sugars that occur
naturally in food? (sorry for all the
questions, only I can't find this info
else where. My doc just said "eat more
carbohydrates" and that's literally it)
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Stan
Moderator
Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 1696 Location: ,
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Posted: 10-28-06 08:02am
Eat more carbohydrates? What an fool.
It rarely works. Ummm, no, you can't
avoid the sugar in everything because
there is naturally occuring sugar in
nearly everything you eat, including
vegetables. What you need to do is cut
it back so that the only sugar you're
getting is coming from healthy food,
mainly fruits and vegetables. Do you
have a whole foods where you live or a
health food store? I'm sure there has to
be something somewhere. If so, they
should have the sheep's milk yogurt.
It's not that easy to find. Technically
you can try any type of plain yogurt
(nothing added at all!), but cow and goat
milk yogurt have way more carbohydrates
and most of it is converted quickly into
sugar so it may not be best. But then
again, considering how high in sugar your
diet is, it may eventually be a nice
substitute for you. Slippery elm bark is
best if purchased in powdered form, not
capsules. You just take a little pinch
of it, add just a small amount of boiling
water, let it sit, stir vigorously, and
then add just a small amount of cold water
to make it warm and drink it down. It
coats the stomach and intestines with this
mucous like matter that helps heal it and
keep it calm.
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Rae17
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 31 Location: Liverpool.
Posted: 10-28-06 21:07pm
Alright! Thank you loads stan
i'm sure there probably are some health
food stores or something, I just never
bothered looking before. My main concern
with a health food store though is that
they're costly and being a college
student, I have very little money.
But, I will try to find another store
other than my local super market. I know
I have to start eating right, my hypo is
all over the place. It's starting to
affect my college work. Some days, I
can't even draw because the shaking is so
bad. So I need to get it under control.
And yeah, my doctor wasn't very helpful at
all to be honest. She never took the time
to explain anything to me. Just a quick
"you have hypoglycemia; eat more carbs"
and then she sent me on my way. I was
left rather confused.
Anyways, thank you again. You've been a
great help!
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Stan
Moderator
Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 1696 Location: ,
Thanks: 3
Thanked:0
Posted: 10-28-06 21:31pm
Sure, glad to help! I hope the diet gets
you under wraps as soon as possible!
Come here with any questions.
